historical criticism

Historical Criticism

Examines the origins of earliest text to appreciate the underlying circumstances upon which the text came to be.

EXTERNAL CRITICISM

determines the authenticity of the source. The authenticity of the material may be tested in two ways:

Paleographica

deciphering and dating of historical manuscripts.

Diplomatic

critical analysis of historical document to understand how the document came to be and how the information were transmitted.

INTERNAL CRITICISM

determining the value of the facts, the character of the sources, the knowledge of the author, and the influences prevalent at the time of writing.

INTERNAL CRITICISM

It deals with more important matters than the external form

INTERNAL CRITICISM

It determines the historicity of the facts contained in the document

Test of Authenticity

To distinguish a hoax (or misrepresentation) from a genuine document, the historian must use tests (which are common in police and legal detection). He examines the materials to see whether they are not anachronistic (too early or too late when the writer could not possibly have been at the place when it happened).

Test of Authenticity

He sees if he can identify the handwriting, signature, seal, letterhead. Experts using techniques known as paleography and diplomatics have long known that in certain regions at certain times, handwriting and the style and form of official documents were conventionalized. Anachronistic styles (idiom, orthography, or punctuation) can be detected by specialists who are familiar with contemporary writing.

Anachronistic

is considered as hoax or misrepresentation from the genuine document.

CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS of SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES

The complete knowledge of the past through credible and reliable sources is essential to the understanding and learning of one's history.

Content Analysis

is a systematic evaluation of the primary source, such as a text, painting, caricature, or speech, where one could develop and present an argument based on their own understanding from their readings.

Contextual Analysis

considers specifically the time, place, and situation when the primary source was written. The analysis includes the author's background and authority on the subject.